


Cast in Metal, not Stone

by BlackStormsShadow (orphan_account)



Series: Little Moments Like These [7]
Category: The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: M/M, Questions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-04
Updated: 2012-12-04
Packaged: 2017-11-20 06:54:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/582537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/BlackStormsShadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony's working up the courage to ask, but the question he should be asking is if he ever will ask.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cast in Metal, not Stone

Still in the post orgasm bliss, Loki's form asleep on his, Tony can pretend that it's always been like this, Loki's always been here in his arms.

He can pretend the God doesn't have waist long hair due to his decades in imprisonment. He can pretend he hasn't nearly lost his sanity. He can pretend that this is just a usual night, every night, _just like this_. He can pretend he didn't nearly destroy an Government facility to rescue the damn heavy God from 'Midgardian Justice'. He can pretend that Steve didn't look at him condescendingly- hell, he can pretend Steve never came out of the ocean. He can pretend the Tesseract never came out of the ocean. He can pretend the Avengers Initiative _never happened_.

He can pretend that the rain pattering on the glass of the windows of his Malibu home has always been there and will always be there, that this is reality and he will never wake from it. He can pretend that Loki is his entire world, here in his arms, for the rest of his life. He can pretend he doesn't eventually have to leave this room. He can pretend the world will spin on with out him, and it will, even if this is just a moment, a fleeting moment that will go by as quickly as it came.

Reality catches up with him all too soon as a bolt of lightening streaks across the sky. He's forced to remember everything he's done, everything _Loki's_ done. He's forced to remember what got him hear and why exactly he's hiding a Norse God under his roof ... and his blankets.

Loki stirs against his chest, hand sliding down from his nape, over his chest, brushing by the arc-reactor to rest on his diaphragm. He watches the hand as it twitches in Loki's sleep. He watches Loki as he twitches in his sleep. His eyes get drawn back to the hand again, fingertips gently pressing at his skin as the God's face nuzzles into his collarbone. He doesn't correct Loki in the morning when he says, in a tone no-one wants to argue with, "I do not cuddle, Stark", he doesn't want to, fearing it would actually stop. Not just the cuddling, but everything that _leads_ to the cuddling.

The hand searches up his chest again and rests over the arc-reactor. He knows he should be comfortable with it, knowing Loki could turn on a fucking dime and tear it out of his chest within a second, but _Loki_ is just cold enough to stop the incessant heat of the building energy of the arc-reactor.

His mind places an image in his head, a memory, an thought that had been sparked not all that long ago. A single thought had lead to an idea, that had lead to a plan he was still to put into action and follow through with. He gently, carefully, slides out from beside and slightly underneath the God, pads over to his jeans, pulling them on and making his way down the steps to the workshop.

~

He's been searching for an hour when he hears the slight shift of silk on silk. It's Loki, he knows it's Loki, but he hasn't found what he's looking for- Bottom drawer, left corner cabinet, in the small, engraved wooden box. He smiles, genuinely smiles as he races over to it, pulling the small box into his hand and opening it.

The emerald glistens in the arc's light, green and glorious, the platinum band and chain both reflecting the light back onto Tony and into the near vicinity. It's hidden from the prying eyes in the door way, only for Tony to see. He chances a glance behind him and is met with curiously _sad_ green eyes.

' _Just like his eyes_ '

He remembers the day he bought it.

It was Tuesday, raining, he was coming home from a meeting and he'd realised he hadn't bought Loki anything for the anniversary of his 'escape'. He'd had Hogan stop when his eye caught a jewellery store. He'd just poked around a bit and came across and _single_ emerald on a thin platinum chain. It was only $600 and Tony wasn't going to turn it down. Loki was one for simplicity, he knew that after watching and _observing_ the God throughout their time together.

It wasn't until he was leaving that the ring had caught his eye, sitting among all the others it shone like a diamond among diamonds. It was different and unique and the Jeweller had though he'd been admiring the diamonds. _Psesh_. **Please** ... diamonds are a _girl's_ best friend. His lover was an emerald, easily overlooked when it came to 'perfection', but oh so precious when you took the time.

He pointed at the emerald engagement ring and the owner looked at him like he was a fool. He wanted it and the jeweller let him have it. $4,000 poorer, Tony found himself holding onto two chains in that little drawer. One with a small emerald that Loki always wears around his neck now, and a platinum engagement ring, speckled with diamonds and an Emerald cast into it's centre.

He glances back at the God. He knows that look, he remembers _it_ too. It's the " _Are you going to send me back to SHIELD after all this trouble?_ " look. It's the look that _always_ breaks his heart. He places the ring back in the box and the box back in the drawer. He closes the drawer and the cabinet door, lazily walking back over to Loki.

"What's with this?" he asks, hands darting over the black silk shirt, buttons hastily done up. "I didn't know if I was going to be kicked out onto the curb without my clothes or not" Loki just looks at him again, those eyes big and green and so very addicting. He knows it's probably just another act, it's probably just a ploy to convince Tony to let him stay, not that he needs to convince him at all.

Tony's hands wonder to the collar of the dress shirt, gently levering out the two top buttons, the collar itself left undone. "Why would you think that I'd let someone kick you out of _my_ house?" Tony smirks, placing an open-mouthed kiss to Loki's collarbone. He feels Loki's fingers combing through his hair as he kisses up his throat.

"I'm pretty sure we found out last week what happens when we have sex in the lab ... don't you?" Tony smirks, his hands resting on Loki's hips. "Then, by all means, lead me back to the place where sex _is_ allowed" Loki smirks at him devilishly, pulling him up into a tongue included kiss.

He won't ask, not tonight ...

But _soon_.

 _ **Hopefully**_.

**Author's Note:**

> Those wondering about what the ring looks like: http://riyo.co.uk/173472-image-troms-emerald-white-gemstone-diamond-ring-gold-old.jpg  
> I improvised on the materials used because the site no longer existed.
> 
> ALSO! THIS IS UNBETA'D SO ALL MISTAKES ARE MY OWN.


End file.
